Octopus Energy and UNISON have sealed a landmark deal which will see the energy giant’s workers represented by the UK’s largest trade union
The energy supplier says it spoke to several unions in recent months, and UNISON stood out for its “commitment to the energy transition” and the “creation of good, unionised green jobs”.
The agreement sets out how the two organisations will work together for the benefit of the Octopus team.
Jon Paull, Chief Operating Officer, Octopus Energy, says, “We spoke to several unions over recent months and kept coming back to UNISON. We share the same goal: a clean energy future that brings bills down and creates good green jobs across the country – from office to field teams.
“We’re proud of the place we’ve built. We’ve created over 12,000 green jobs in under a decade, we’re rated higher on Glassdoor than any other major UK energy supplier, and every employee is a shareholder.”
‘Our people are the reason Octopus works’
He continues: “We’ve always said joining a union is a decision for our people, not for management – this deal puts that into practice. Our people are the reason Octopus works, and I look forward to building on those strong foundations with UNISON.”
Andrea Egan, General Secretary, UNISON, adds, “UNISON brings workers together not only to win a fairer deal, but to drive the wider transformation of our society and economy. Nothing is more important in that respect than phasing out fossil fuels and replacing them with green energy.
“Climate change threatens us all, but it also presents an opportunity to create millions of good, unionised green jobs. That’s why we’re delighted to announce this deal with Octopus. It’s good news for the company’s workers and for the future of green jobs in this country.”
To read more from Octopus Energy, click here.